10 Rule Five Draft Names That Intrigue Me

I know there are some “better” players in the Rule Five draft not listed here but I tried to focus on players the Mets might target given team needs (relief pitching, catcher, outfield, starting).

Preface: The only player I have seen play in person is Venditte. All other information and analysis I compiled from researching scouting reports and consulting minor league statistics.

In no specific order:

1.) Petey Paramore- Catcher- Athletics. This is a guy originally drafted by the Mets out of high school in ’05 (22^nd round) and ended up going to college and selected by the A’s in 2008 in the third round. While offering very little power, Paramore has gotten on base at a very solid .356 clip in the minors, has a good approach at the plate (he’s a switch hitter by the way), does not strike out much, and has thrown out 28% of would-be base stealers in his minor league career and has been praised for his accurate throw and quick release time. So, Josh Thole + good defensive skills? Sign me up.

2.) Johan Yan- RP (RHP)- Rangers. Sidearming reliever. Converted shortstop with good numbers. Pitch repertoire still a work in progress but certainly a guy who could stick in a bullpen all year. Given the Mets need at reliever I think they will take a long look at Johan 2.

3.) Cesar Cabral- RP (LHP)- Red Sox. Young (22) lefty with a four-pitch arsenal and good K/9 numbers (11.5 last year in A and AA). Intriguing arm and would add a much needed lefty reliever but could he stay on the 25-man roster all year given his level of experience?

4.) Trevor Reckling- LHP- Angels. Another young lefty. Control issues but a great changeup. New Jersey native (Livingston).

5.) Jordan Danks- OF- White Sox. Good defender, good speed, center-field option, even added 14 HR last year. Gets on base enough but not a strength (.340 career OBP). Downside- strikes out way too much (155 in 463 at bats in 2011).

6.) Erik Komatsu- OF- Nationals. Yes, this is the guy who was the Brewers minor league player of the year in 2010. Dude gets on base like a machine (.389! OBP for his minor league career), has a Range Factor/Game of 2.0 while playing all three outfield positions. Can steal a base but it is a skill still developing. If we are looking for a potential lead-off guy, look no further. I like this kid a lot. Problem with Komatsu is this: He has never played a game above AA. Is he a guy we could legitimately keep on our 25-man roster all year?

7.) Thomas Pham- OF- Cardinals. From Baseball News Hound: “An athletic, cannon-armed outfielder, Pham started to take his raw tools onto the playing field in 2010 before breaking out last season. Armed with plus speed, and above-average raw power, Pham posted an .889 OPS while legging out eleven doubles and three triples in 143 at bats last season. Though he’s been slowed by injuries, particularly by a fractured wrist in 2010, the young athlete has managed to develop at a solid pace. Once he adds more loft to his swing, he could turn some of his doubles into home runs and he has the potential to hit 15-20 dingers annually in the big leagues. Though he only moved to the outfield full-time a couple of years ago, Pham has the makings of an above-average defensive centerfielder. Any ballclub with space on their bench and an interest in fortifying their future outfield could snag Pham on draft day.” Works for me.

8.) Brad Meyers- RHP- Nationals. Great control, 6'6" right-handed starter. Report courtesy of Crawfish Boxes: “spent a majority of his time starting between AA Harrisburg and AAA Syracuse last year. He posted a 3.18 ERA in 138.2 innings. The thing that stands out about Meyers is that he will not walk people. Last year he walked only 15 batters. It's pretty clear that he's a command and control type of pitcher. He's got a good repertoire including a low 90's fastball, curveball and changeup. He projects to be a middle to backend of the rotation starter”. He is 26 years old but could be a nice addition to the back end of the rotation if Santana gets hurt, Pelfrey traded, prospects take too long, etc.

9.) Bryce Stowell- RP (RHP)- Indians. The Mets need relievers and Stowell may be the best in the Rule Five. Great fastball, control issues, struck out 35.4% of the batters he faced last year.

10.) Pat Venditte- RP (BHP)- Yankees. Save my favorite for last. “BHP” is not a typo. It stands for "Both Handed Pitcher". Venditte is currently the only major or minor league ambidextrous pitcher. While he has strong strikeout to walk numbers and a decent arsenal with both arms, he has not yet been able to break into and stay in the bigs. If nothing else, he is the sort of player that fans would pay to see. I don’t know about you but I would love to see this guy in Flushing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDyCRTlKllk.

11.) Jiwan James- OF- Phillies. Eh why not one more for good measure. Only a .690 OPS for his injury-shortened career thus far but a supreme defender and an amazing athlete. And maybe I want to pick one off from the Phillies just a bit.

I highly doubt there are any Josh Hamiltons in this Rule Five but there are certainly a lot of intriguing names that could fill some much-needed roles. Some good relief options and a couple catchers worth looking at as well. Personally I like Paramore, Yan, Meyers, Pham and Venditte and if Komatsu is still available by the time the Mets pick (cross your fingers), I think they would be crazy not to take him. I would take that OBP and outfield defensive ability any day of the week.

--Stephen

Sources:

Baseball Reference

Milb.com

Baseball News Hound: http://baseballnewshound.com/?page_id=1868

Crawfish Boxes: http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2011/12/5/2603093/astros-potential-rule-5-draftees